Post navigation

4 thoughts on “Go around the world of Buddha statues 7: Various Buddha statues in Japan”

Asura (Demons) refers to the race (group of people) who were in direct opposition to Sura (Gods) and continuous raging a war against them. Indra is the king of Sura (Gods) and the elephant he rides on is called Airavat.

Garuda is the king of birds, and also the official mode of transportation for Vishnu (the Godhead, care-taker of the planet earth). Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity is wife of Vishnu.

The trinity of Gods (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) generally offered bounties to both Sura (minor Gods) and Asura (Demons) – who-so-ever prayed to them. Asura (demons) were good in undertaking extremely tough physical tests to please the gods (specially Shiva) and seek magical powers to be use against gods and humans. The teacher of Asura was Shukracharya, the grandson of Brahma. Sura (gods) were kind towards humans and were able to nullify the magical powers of Asura (demons) with their clever tactics. In Hindu mythologies the Asura (demons) are portrayed as those who lost their mind after gaining extreme power thus ending up becoming the villains who were ultimately defeated by the clever gods with the help of Vishnu through his various avatars (like Rama, Krishna, etc.)

Thank you for teaching me. Asura was a devil that was defeated by great God, but, because Asura had extreme powers, Asura was incorporated in a guardian deity of Buddhism.
Therefore Asura would be expressed as the devil that was superior in brute strength or was weak.
I think so.